Groundbreaking cash assistance program for new moms is coming to Kalamazoo

Pregnant moms in Kalamazoo and their newborn babies will soon be prescribed cash, thanks to the expansion of the Rx Kids program in Michigan. 

Earlier this week, dozens of community leaders gathered at Kalamazoo City Hall to celebrate the city’s selection as an expansion site for Rx Kids, a free program that provides cash payments to every single pregnant person during pregnancy and up until their child’s first birthday. 

The announcement comes less than a year after the successful launch of the same program in Flint. The effort is an experiment in reducing infant poverty and improving the health of newborns and new moms. 

There are no income requirements to participate in the program, which will offer cash payments to all expectant mothers and newborn babies in Kalamazoo beginning in 2025. Families hoping to take part in the program should watch for the sign-up page to come online soon. 

So far, nearly $3 million in cash has been prescribed to 996 families in Flint. Moms get an initial payment of $1,500 sometime during their pregnancy, to help with affording food, prenatal care, and to prepare for their baby’s arrival. Once their baby is born, they receive $500 each month for the first year of the child’s life. 

In August, survey results from Flint revealed the positive impact the cash prescriptions had on the community. With nearly 70% of respondents making less than $10,000 each year, a majority reported that Rx Kids helped them make ends meet and feel more secure in their finances. 

“The financial burdens on moms, parents, and families during the first year of a child’s life are immense,” said Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids and of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, in a recent press release. 

“Cash prescriptions help fill immediate needs, like securing stable housing or transportation for health care utilization, assistance with vital household expenses like food and utilities, and being able to think toward the future to ensure babies have the best start at life—not to just survive, but thrive.”

The successful launch of Kalamazoo Rx Kids will ensure that the 800 or so babies expected to be born in the city next year—and their families—will receive a little extra help to offset the high cost of having a newborn and accessing early childhood resources. 

Research shows that no-strings-attached cash prescriptions improve maternal and infant health, and decrease mortality and postpartum depression. Birth weights are better, premature birth rates drop, and parental mental health improves. What’s more, giving cash to low-income families has been shown to boost infants’ early cognitive development, and years later, adult children whose families received the cash had better health, education, salary, and depression outcomes. 

“Kalamazoo has a long history of prioritizing and understanding that healthy children are vital to a healthy community,” said Hanna.

“Launching this program will have an immediate and tangible positive impact on the entire Kalamazoo community.” 

Earlier this year, a group of Kalamazoo community leaders began meeting to learn more about the public health model piloted in Flint, with momentum building as $20 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds were dedicated to expanding the public-private partnership program in the 2025 State of Michigan budget. With a funding goal of over $5 million per year, about $1.4 million of TANF funds will be used for the Kalamazoo Rx Kids program annually. 

The program has already received investment from the community. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation made the inaugural pledge of $500,000 back in May, followed by investments from United Way of South Central Michigan and the Bronson Health Foundation. 

Kalamazoo Rx Kids also recently received a $5 million investment from the Stryker Johnston Foundation, a private family foundation based in Kalamazoo that invests in and partners with organizations and groups working to end intergenerational poverty in Kalamazoo County. Through these multiple community investments, the first year of the planned five-year Kalamazoo Rx Kids program is fully funded. 

“This generous investment from the Stryker Johnston Foundation has brought the expansion of Rx Kids to Kalamazoo, and we will continue to invite local funders and donors to join us in our commitment to making our community the most equitable place to grow a family,” said Alyssa Stewart, chief community impact officer at the community foundation, in a press release.